Hospital chair



13, 1956 MCKENDREY HOSPITALA CHAIR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 9, 1954 Le0 Mc/(endm INVENTOR.

L. M KENDREY 2,770,289

HOSPITAL CHAIR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 9, 1954 w m m MM m m 0 M 0Filed Aug. 9, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 66 Fig. 3

94 w I 44 40 7a g I 52 3 0 a 4 0 H i 45 J; 90 l /6 32 92 86 i O a 1 LeMclfendrey INVENTOR.

United States Patent HOSPITAL CHAIR Leo McKendrey, Shullsburg, Wis.Application August 9, 1954, Serial No. 448,409

Claims. (Cl. 155-45) This invention relates to an invalid handlingapparatus, and more particularly to a novel convertible hospital chair.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision ofmeans for enabling the eflicient removal of a patient from a hospitalbed in a manner so that the patient may be raised to a sitting positionutilizing the invention.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of aconvertible hospital chair having novel linkage arrangement for enablinga foot rest and back rest which are pivotally mounted with respect to abody support portion to be moved from a substantially horizontalposition to an upright position while also serving to lower the bodysupport.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of anovel convertible hospital chair which includes a wheel support adaptedto carry the back rest, body support and foot rest of the chair in ahorizontal position and raised at a level equal to the level of ahospital bed while being adapted to be converted into an invalid chairwith the body support portion lowered to a comfortable seating height.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in theprovision of a hospital chair that is strong and durable, simple inconstruction and operation, capable of being manually operated, andbecause of its eflicient linkage, easily adjusted from one position toanother even with a patient thereon, yet which is inexpensive tomanufacture, thereby permitting wide distribution and utilization in thehospital and in private homes and the like.

These together with the various ancillary objects and features of theinvention which will become apparent as the following descriptionproceeds, are attained by this convertible hospital chair, a preferredembodiment of which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings,by way of example only, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of the convertible hospital chair shownin a position wherein the patient receiving platform comprising the backrest, body support and foot rest is arranged at a height approximatelyequivalent to the height of a hospital bed;

Figure 2 is another perspective view of the invention shown in anintermittent position during its adjustment;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the invention shown with the seatcushions thereof removed and in a seating position; and

Figure 4 is a detail view illustrating the construction of the meansutilized for actuating the linkages incorporated in the invention.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views,reference numeral generally designates the convertible hospital chaircomprising the present invention. This hospital chair It includes awheeled framework, consisting of upwardly extending legs 12, 14, 16 and18 which are interconnected by upper cross-portions 20 and 22 as well aslower braces 24, 26, 28 and 30. Wheels 32 and 34 are rotatably 2,770,289Patented Nov. 13, 1956 mounted on the legs 12 and 14, while casters orsmall wheels 36 and 38 are rotatably and preferably swivelly mounted onthe legs 16 and 18.

Mounted on a bracket 40 attached to the brace 24 and a transversesupport 42 for rotary movement is a drive rod 44 having a crank 45 forthe rotation thereof. The rod 44 has a worm gear 46 secured thereonwithin a journal box 48 carried by the rod 44 and secured to the support42. Downwardly extending from the journal box 48 and supported by thetransverse support 42 is a housing 50 for a worm wheel 52 which isfixedly secured to a shaft 54.

Mounted on the shaft 54 are pairs of crank arms 56, 58, 60 and 62 withthe crank arms 56 and 60 and the crank arms 58 and 62, respectively,being integrally formed as a unitary member of substantially invertedV-shape.

Pivotally attached to the crank arms 56 and 58 are a pair of connectingrods 64 and 66 which are pivotally attached to the frame members 68 and70 of the back rest 72 having a cushion 74 attached thereto in anysuitable manner. The frame members 68 and 78 are pivoted to legs 12 and14 and extend beyond the back rest 72 and include downwardly extendingportions 76 and 78. Pivotally attached to the portion 76 and 78 are apair of links 80 and 82 which are also pivotally attached to the footrest 84 having a suitable padding 86 and having a lower portion 88pivotally attached thereto, as is conventional.

Attached to the crank arms 60 and 62 in a pivotal manner are connectinglinks 90 and 92 which are also pivotally attached to the frame of thebody support member 94 including padding 96 which it attached thereto.

The foot rest 84 is pivotally attached, as at 98, to the body supportmember 94 and as at 100, the body support member 94 is pivotallyattached to the frame members 68 and 70. Thus, the body support member94, the foot rest 84, the links 80 and 82, and the frame members 68 and78 including the downwardly extending portions 76 and 78 form aquadrilateral linkage which upon movement of the shaft 54 will cause thefoot rest 84 and the back rest 72 to move from a horizontal position toa substantially upright position while lowering the body support member94.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will bereadily understood and further explanation is believed to beunnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction shown and described, andaccordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A convertible hospital chair comprising a wheeled framework, a shaftcarried by said framework, means for rotating said shaft, a back restpivotally attached to said framework including a pair of frame members,a body sup port pivotally attached to said back rest, a foot restpivotally attached to said body support, links pivotally interconnectingsaid frame members and said foot rest, and a linkage connected to saidshaft for adjusting the position of said back rest, said body supportand said foot rest, said linkage including pairs of crank arms attachedto said shaft, a pair of connecting links terminally attached to saidback rest and one of said pairs of crank arms, and other connectinglinks terminally attached to said body support and another of said pairsof crank arms.

2. A convertible hospital chair comprising a wheeled framework, a shaftcarried by said framework, means for rotating said shaft, 21 back restpivotally attached to said framework including a pair of frame members,a body support pivotally attached to said back rest, a foot restpivotally attached to said body support, links pivotally interconnectingsaid frame members and said foot rest,

and a linkage connected to said shaft for adjusting the position of saidback rest, said body support and said foot rest, said linkage includingpairs of crank arms attached to said shaft, a pair of connecting linksterminally attached to said back rest and one of said pairs of crankarms, and other connecting links terminally attached to said bodysupport and another of said pairs of crank arms, said frame membershaving downwardly projecting portions to which said first recited pairof connecting links are attached and forming a quadrilateral linkarrangement consisting of said body support, said foot rest, said links,and said frame members.

3. A convertible hospital chair comprising a wheeled framework, a shaftcarried by said framework, means for rotating said shaft, a back restpivotally attached to said framework including a pair of frame members,a body support pivotally attached to said back rest, a foot restpivotally attached to said body support, links pivotally interconnectingsaid frame members and said foot rest, and a linkage connected to saidshaft for adjusting the position of said back rest, said body supportand said foot rest, said linkage including pairs of crank arms attachedto said shaft, a pair of connecting links terminally attached to saidback rest and one of said pairs of crank arms, and other connectinglinks terminally attached to said body support and another of said pairsof crank arms, said means including a drive rod supported by saidframework, a worm gear on said rod, a worm wheel attached to said shaft,said worm wheel engaging said worm gear.

4. A convertible hospital chair comprising a wheeled framework, a shaftcarried by said framework, means for rotating said shaft, a back restpivotally attached to said framework including a pair of frame members,a body support pivotally attached to said back rest, a foot restpivotally attached to said body support, links pivotally interconnectingsaid frame members and said foot rest, and a linkage connected to saidshaft for adjusting the position of said back rest, said body supportand said foot rest, said linkage including pairs of crank arms attachedto said shaft, a pair of connecting links terminally attached to saidback rest and one of said pairs of crank arms, and other connectinglinks terminally attached to to said body support and another of saidpairs of crank arms, said frame members having downwardly projectingportions to which said first recited pair of connecting links areattached and forming a quadrilateral link arrangement consisting of saidbody support, said foot rest, said links, and said frame members, saidmeans including a drive rod supported by said framework, a worm gear onsaid rod, a worm wheel attached to said shaft, said worm wheel engagingsaid worm gear.

5. A convertible hospital chair comprising a wheeled framework, a shaftcarried by said framework, means for rotating said shaft, a back restpivotally attached to said framework including a pair of frame members,a body support pivotally attached to said back rest, a foot restpivotally attached to said body support, links pivotally interconnectingsaid frame members and said foot rest,

a pair of inverted V-shaped members mounted on said References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Larrick Oct. 27, 1953'Miller Apr. 27, 1954 Glaser Nov. 16, 1954

